Grime and Grenfell: Lyricising the Tory party’s neglect of the working-class.

For a long time, Grime was considered to be an underground music scene - but how has its rise to mainstream popularity affected its influence on the political beliefs of young people in the UK?

("Roskilde Festival Stormzy-2.jpg" by Henry W. Laurisch is marked with CC BY-SA 4.0.)

On 14 June 2017, a fire started on the fourth floor of Grenfell tower, a 23-storey tower block in North Kensington, West London. Tragically, the fire spread uncontrollably, causing the deaths of 72 people. After months of inquiry, anger, hurt and frustration, it was found that the reason why the fire was so aggressive and persistant was because of the building's cladding and external instillation. It had been compromised, the building company choosing to opt for cheaper, rather than safer, alternatives.

Widely covered on National news, the horrific incident brought to light the awful implications of Tory cuts to health and safety legislation. David Cameron himself spoke of 'the health and safety monster', demonstrating a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of Grenfell residents. Similarly, Boris Johnson, who was Mayor of London at the time and held responsible by certain groups, responded to expressions of anger and hurt by telling protestors to 'get stuffed'.

All in all, the Grenfell incident elicited a powerful response which could be heard perhaps most strongly in the music and lyrics of one particularly vocal music genre: Grime.

Grime as a genre had been around since the early 2000's, but was perhaps at its most popular when the Grenfell tragedy occurred. One of it's most vocal artists at the time of Grenfell was Stormzy, a rapper from Croyden who has made a name for himself as a Leftist champion on social justice and equality. In his 40-second verse at the 2018 Brit music awards, he powerfully asked:

“Yo, Theresa May where’s the money for Grenfell? 

What, you thought we just forgot about Grenfell? 

You criminals,

and you got the cheek to call us savages? 

You should do some jail time, 

you should pay some damages. 

You should burn your house down 

and see if you can manage this.”

 

 Calling out Theresa May on national TV for her disregard for the victims of Grenfell, Stormzy quickly became the face of Brits demanding justice for those affected by the tragedy. He went on to speak on the issue during his Glastonbury set, saying 'We urge the authorities to tell the fucking truth, first and foremost. We urge them to do something. We urge the fucking government to be held accountable for the fuckery.” When considered alongside his other actions such as funding scholarships to Black students at Cambridge University, Stormzy's resiliance in fighting for those who are underprivelaged and ignored has been universally admired, and he has certainly paved the way for other grime artists to fuse their music with their political activism. 

One of these artists, for example, is Shocka. His Grenfell Freestyle, accompanied by the backing track of 2Pac's song 'Changes', became a viral sensation after being reposted by many UK rappers. The simplicity and raw empathy expressed in his rap hit home with many internet users who were also struggling to verbalise their feelings towards the Grenfell tragedy. Shocka was also joined in viral fame by the talented artist Lowkey, whose track 'Ghosts of Grenfell' was extremely popular and well received.

 

''The night our eyes changed

Rooms where, love was made and un-made in a flash of the night

Rooms where, memories drowned in fumes of poison

Rooms where, futures were planned and the imagination of children built castles in the sky

Rooms where, both the extraordinary and the mundane were lived

Become forever tortured graves of ash

Oh you political class, so servile to corporate power.''

 

By zooming in on the intimate, mundane scenes which he imagines to have unravelled in the private spaces of the Grenfell flats, and melting them together with the horrific scenes of asphyxiation and burning, Lowkey reminds us of the true humanity of each and every victim. His empathy is made even more crystal clear as he begins to repeatedly echo the question, 'Did they die, or us?'.

Overall, one of the most powerful and endearing factors of Grime artists in the wake of Grenfell was undoubtedly their bravery: their bravery to speak out against the government, their bravery to stand up for those who were unable to stand up for themselves, their bravery to open themselves up emotionally to the full extent of the implications of Grenfell. In a time when the government were neglectful, the Grime genre witnessed a turn towards lyrics more emotional, and more supportive of victims and their families, than ever before. These artists should be commended for not shying away from their responsibilities, and for using their platform and reach for the greater good.